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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. WA. RAGSDALE. COTTON SEED DELINTING MACHINE.

No. 597,327. Patented Jan. 11,1898.

IIIIIIIIII;I )I)YII (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v W. A. RAGSDALE. 00mm SEED DELINTING MACHINE.

No. 597,327. Patented Jan. 11,1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rricn.

WILLIAM A. RAGSDALE, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO OLIVE A. POLLOGK, OF SAME PLACE.

COTTON-SEED-DELINTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,327, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed February 9 1895. Serial No. 537,821. (No model.)

To alt whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. RAGSDALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville,in the county of \Vashington and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Cotton- Seed Delinting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton-seed-delinting machines; and it has for its object to provide a new and useful machine of this character that shall provide simple and efficient means for thoroughly removing the lint or fiber from the cotton-seed after ginning.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to construct a seeddelinting machine with special reference to its efficiency for completely cleaning cottonseed of adhering particles of fiber orlint, while at the same time not cracking or otherwise injuring the seed.

With these and other objects in view,which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter. more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of a cottonseed-delintin g machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig.

at is a detail plan view of one of the cushionplates for the debuting-rolls. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig.7 is a detail sectional view on the line 7 '7 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a suitable supporting-frame, on which is arranged a casing 2, provided'at its opposite ends with the opposite curved top portions 3 and at a point between the curved top portions 3 with an intermediate curved top portion 4, connecting with the opposite end top portions 3 to complete a closed top for the casing, which for the purposes of the present invention is not necessarily inclosed at the bottom, but is preferably open, as illustrated.

Arranged for rotation within the casing 2 is a pair of spaced abrasive delinting-rolls 5. The spaced delinting-rolls 5 are mounted on horizontal shafts 6, which are suitably geared together to provide for rotating the rolls in the same direction, and the said delintingrolls 5 are provided with abrasive surfaces or peripheries 7, preferably formed by a covering of emery-cloth, which when undelinted cotton-seed are held in contact therewith will serve to loosen up and tear the lint or fiber from the seed, as will be readily understood. The undelinted cotton-seed are fed to one of the delinting-rolls 5 through a feed-hopper 8,

connected with one end of the casing 2 and delivering the undelinted cotton-seed directly to one side of the said roll, which by reason of its rotation carries such cotton-seed directly under the curved casing-top 3, directly thereover. While the cotton-seed are carried under the curved casing-top portions 3, directly above each of the rolls 5, the same are held firmly in contact with the said delintingrolls by means of the rubber cushion-plates 9, that are fitted to the inner sides of the opposite curved casing-top portions 3 and which are concentrically disposed with relation to the rolls 5, that rotate thereunder.

The cushion-plates 9 necessarily have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the casing-top portions 3 and extend the entire width and length of said casing-top portions. Thecushion-plates 9 are provided at a pointinterinediate of their opposite side edges with longitudinal!y-disposed roll-grooves 10 that extend longitudinally the entire length of the cushion-plates and are disposed parallel to the length of the rolls 5, and at both sides of the longitudinally disposed roll v grooves 10 the cushionplates 9 are provided with a longitudinal series of obliquely-disposed guide-ribs 11, that form therebetween approximately V shaped narrow guidegrooves 12 of a width slightly greater than the width of the ordinary sizes of cotton-seed and through which the cotton-seed are carried by the rolls 5 as they rotate. The guideribs 11 of each cushion-plate are disposed 0bliquely or diagonally to the length of the rolls 5; but the parallell guide-ribs 11 of each'longitudinal series of each cushion-plate are dis posed reversely with respect to the parallel guide-ribs of the other longitudinal series of guide-ribs of the same plate, so that the cotton-seed in passing from one side edge of the cushion-plates to the other must necessarily take a somewhat circuitous course, and the seed are thereby frictionally retarded sufficiently, so that the delinting-rolls are insured a firm frictional grip on the cotton-seed, so as to completely tear or loosen up the fiber or lint clinging to the seed. 7

The rubber cushion-plates 9, that are arranged directly above and in very close proximity to the rolls 5, not only serve to frictionally retard and hold the cotton-seed firmly in contact with the rolls 5, so that a delinting action will occur, but are also sufficientlysoft so as to yield to the pressure of the cottonseed thereagainst and prevent the seed from being cracked or otherwise injured by the hard delinting-rolls. It will be obvious that the cotton-seed in being carried under the casing-top portions 3 by the rolls 5 will be forced by the said rolls obliquely through the guide-grooves 12 at one side of the intermediate longitudinal roll-grooves 10, into which grooves the cotton seed and lint clinging thereto pass from the said guide-grooves at one side of the same.

After a roll or bat of the seed and the lint clinging thereto has formed in the grooves 10 sufficiently large to fill such grooves the rolls 5 will then commence to work the seed out through the series of guide-grooves l2 opposite to the series of guide-grooves which dl'. rected the cotton-seed into the roll-grooves 10, and at this point it will be noted that by, reason of the particular V shape of the grooves 12 the cotton-seed will be prevented from working out of said grooves While at the same time will not wedge therein. During this operationthat is, while the cottonseed are being forced under and through the guidegrooves of the rubber cushion plates the seed are subjected necessarily to a rolling or twisting action in the said guide-grooves 12, and this action, in connection with the abrading action of the rolls 5, will provide'for thoroughly tearing or loosening up the lint or fiber from the seed to which it clings.

Arranged between and above the two delinting-rolls 5 is a series of parallel-spaced delinting wheel-disks 14. The delinting wheeldisks are made of suitableabrasive material, preferably emery, and are mounted on a transversely-arranged shaft 15, suitably geared with the delinting-roll shafts 6 to provide for rotating the wheel-disks 14 in an opposite direction to the rotation of the said delintingrolls. The parallel-spaced delinting wheeldisks 14 are arranged to snugly rotate within the intermediate curved casing-top portion 4 and also rotate in sufficiently close proximity to the surfaces of the rolls 5 to provide for grasping the cotton-seed to feed the same from one roll to the other, while at the same time exerting a delinting action on the said cotton-seed during its passage from roll to roll.

The said wheel-disks 14 are arranged to work directly above and in close proximityto a curved fin ger-plate 16,that is suitably secured inside of the casing 2 between the rolls 5.

The curved finger-plate 16, that is arranged directly below the wheel-disks 14, serves to bridge the space between the two rolls 5 to support the cottonseed while being fed from one roll to the other, and said finger-plate 16 has projected upwardly from the upper side thereof a longitudinal series of spaced fingers 17. The fingers 17' are preferably made of rubber and project up into the spaces between the wheel-disks l-tt below the shaft 15, and by reason of being made of a soft or yielding material the said fingers 17 allow the cotton-seed to be carried past the same, while at the same time the said fingers serve to hold the cotton-seed in contact with the sides of the wheel-disks 14 sufficiently firm,so that the said wheel-disks will also assist in the delinting of the seed. The upwardly'projecting fingers 17 not only serve to provide for pressingt he cotton-seed against the wheel-disks 1% while being carried from one roll to the other, but at the same time prevent the seed with the clinging fiber or lint from being caught up by the wheel-disks and carried around and around by the same.

The construction described, including the rolls 5 and the wheel-disks 14, in connection with the cushion devices for maintaining a firm contact of the cotton-seed with the said rolls and wheel-disks, provides for completely I delinting the cotton-seed that are discharged from a gin, and by the time the seed are delivered from the. roll farthest from the feedhopper 8 the lint or fiber is completely loosened up or torn from the said seed, so that the same are ready for being separated from the lint or fiber. The said roll 5, that is farthest from the hopper 8 into which the nndelinted seed are introduced, is arranged to rotate in close proximity to and at one side of a series of separating-saws 18 of a separating mechanism.

The separating-saws 18 are arranged and mounted in the same manner as ordinary ginsaws, but in the present invention are arranged much closer together than gin-saws, so that the spaces between the saws 18 are too narrow to admit of the ordinary sizes of seed falling therethrough that have any lint or fiber clinging thereto. As in the ordinary construction of gin, the said saws 18 are mounted on the same drum or shaft parallel with each other and work between the ordinary sawribs 19, that are arranged in the spaces between the saws, and it is of course understood that the ribs 19 are also disposed sufficiently close together to prevent the passage of seed therebetween, while at the same time allowing the lint or fiber to be carried by the saws 18 between the ribs in the usual way.

The separating-saws 18 and the saw-ribs 19 employed in connection therewith are arranged within a casing 20 of an ordinary construction and which is provided at one side of the saws and the ribs with the usual rollbox 21, that is disposed directly above and at one side of the roll farthest from the hop per 8, so that the delinted cottonseed are carried by the said roll 5 into the roll-box 21, in which forms the usual'bat or roll, such as is formed in ginning operations, and from this bat or roll the lint or fiber is torn by the saws 18 and carried between the ribs 19 to the usual cleaning-brush that is mounted within the casing in rear of the saws l8, and the brush cleans the lint or fiber from the saws 18 in the usual manner and discharges the same out through the dischargeflue 23, projected from the rear side of the said casing 2 By reason of employing the saws 18 in connection with the delinting devices described it will be understood that means are thus provided for effecting a separation of the lint or fiber from the clean seed, which fall onto the ribs 19 between the saws 1S and are delivered out of the machine over the usual seed-board 2;, located at the lower end of the ribs 19.

At this point emphasis is laid upon the specific combination and relation of the saws 18 and the immediately adjacent delinting-roll, for by reason of disposing the saws at one side of and in close proximity to the debuting-roll the said delinting-roll and saws support in the angle therebetween the bat or roll of seed and lint which necessarily accumulates in the roll-box 21. Now by reason of the fact that the saws 18 and the immediately adjacent debuting-roll support in the angle therebetween the hat or roll of seed and lint and rotate in the same directions a combined delinting and lint-separating action occurs within the roll-box 21, it being obvious that the delinting-roll, which rotates in one direction, will tend to draw the hat or roll down between the same and the saws, while the saws also rotate in the same direction and correct this tendency of the delinting-roll and at the same time tear the loosened lint from the seed, which lint is subjected to a loosening action from the time it enters the feedhopper until the time it reaches the roll-box 21 in the space between the saws and the adjacent deliuting-roll.

In the event of some of the cotton-seed not being entirely delinted by the delinting mechanism described such seed cannot fall between the saws, but are kept agitated within the rollbox 21 until the same find escape through a side discharge-opening 25, formed in the easing 20 at one end of the roll-box 21. From the side discharge-openings 25 the cottonseed referred to fall through a discharge-chute 26, leading from said side discharge-opening into one end of a conveyer-box 27, arranged longitudinally of and at one side of the casing 2, in which the delinting mechanism is mounted. The conveyer-box 27 accommodates for rotation therein a screw conveyer 28, that serves to carry the cotton-seed from end to end of the box 27 and opposite the discharge-chute 20. The con'veyer-box 27 has connected therewith a feed-chute 29, leading into one side and the lower end of the hopper 8 and thereby providing means for feeding the cotton-seed that have not been entirely delin ted to the first roll 5, so that such seed may be redelinted.

\Vhile only a pair of the rolls 5 has been described as employed in operating the machine, it will be understood that any number of such rolls may be employed, and any changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or saci'ificingan y of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a debuting-machine, a suitably-supported delinting-roll provided with an abrasive surface, and a stationary curved cushionplate supported above and in close proximity to the roll, said cushion plate being provided with separate parallel series of obliquely-disposed guide-ribs forming therebetween guidegrooves, the guide-ribs of one series being reversely disposed with respect to the guide ribs of the opposite series, substantially as set forth.

2. In a debuting-machine, a suitably-supported delinting-roll provided with an abrasive surface, and a stationary curved cushion-plate supported above and in close proximity to the roll, said cushion-plate being provided with an intermediate longitudinallydisposed roll-groove, and parallel longitudinal series of obliquely-disposed guide-grooves located at both sides of the roll-grooves and forming therebetween approximately V- shaped guide-ribs, the guide-ribs at one side of the roll-grooves being reversely disposed with respect to the guide-ribs at the opposite side of the roll-grooves, substantially as set forth.

3. In a debuting-machine, the combination of a pair of spaced abrasive delinting-rolls, curved casing-tops arranged above the top of each roll, a series of abrasive delinting wheeldisks supported to rotate between and above the delintiug rolls and reversely thereto, means for feeding the undelinted cotton-seed to one of said rolls, and lint-separating mechanism arranged at one side of the other of said rolls, said lint-separating mechanism being provided with a series of saws disposed close to one of said debuting-rolls, substantially as set forth.

. 4. Inadelinting-machine,a casing provided with intermediate and end-curved top portions, a pair of spaced delinting-rolls provided with abrasive surfaces, a casing therefor, curved cushion-plates fitted in the end casing-top portions above said rolls, a series of spaced delinting abrasive wheel-disks supported to rotate above and between the delinting-rolls, a curved finger-plate arranged below said wheel-disks between the rolls and provided with a series of spaced upwardlyprojecting yielding fingers arranged in the spaces between the wheel-disks, a feed-hopper arranged at one end of the casing, and lint-separating mechanism arranged at the opposite end of the casing and provided with a series of saws disposed at one side of one of the delinting-rolls, substantially as set forth.

5. In a delinting-machine, the combination of the casing, delinting-rolls mounted within said casing, a feed-hopper arranged at one end of the casing, a lint-separating mechanism arranged at the opposite end of the casing and provided with a series of closely-arranged saws disposed at one side of one of the delinting-rolls, and also provided with a roll-box in front of and above the saws, a conveyer-box communicating atone end with said roll-box and at its opposite end with said feed-hopper, and a conveyer arranged in said conveyor-box, substantially as set forth.

6. In a delinting-machine, the casing, a horizontal delinting-roll supported in the easing, and a lint-separating mechanism provided with a series of closely-arranged saws which are disposed at one side of and in close proximity to the delinting-roll, said roll and saws rotating in the same direction, and supporting in the angle therebetween the bat or roll of seed and lint, substantiallyas set forth.

7. In a ootton-seed-delinting machine, the combination of a horizontal delinting-roll provided with an abrasive surface, and a series of closely-arranged saws disposed at one side of and in close proximity to the delintingroll, said roll and saws rotating in the same direction, substantially as set forth.

8. In a cotton-seed-delinting machine, the casing, a delinting-roll supported in the easing, and a series of saws arranged adjacent to the roll for removing the lint, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. RAGSDALE.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, E. G. SIGGERS. 

